In surgical procedures trauma to the patient and damage to the tissue needs to be minimized as much as possible. To achieve this result, surgeons try to keep incisions as small as possible when performing surgical procedures. This is particularly so when the surgical incision is in the spinal area. However, it is often necessary that the surgeon performing the delicate surgery have a clear view of the operating field. A variety of retractors are available to keep an incision open and provide a clear field of view of the operation.
Typically, the retractor is inserted in the incision to hold organs, muscles, arteries and other tissue out of the way and provide a clear view of the surgical site being operated on. The retractor displaces a small volume of tissue when inserted into the incision before it is opened, or “spread” to provide a clear view of the operating field.
However, a common problem with retractors is that tissue often encroaches in the surgical site and obstructs the surgeons' operating field. For example, in the case of spinal surgery, the bony geometry, which a retractor is intended to expose, is often of an irregular shape, and, sometimes, tissue can creep under the retractor's blades, obscuring vision and blocking the surgical site. This may lead to post-operative wound complications or unwanted damage to tissue.
Sometimes, if there is tissue encroachment into the surgical site, the surgeon will cut or ablate the tissue entering into the surgical site, which can cause further trauma to the patient and delay the operation and postoperative recovery. Therefore, there is a need for a retractor extension that can be attached to a variety of retractors. Retractor extensions and methods that provide a clear field of view of the surgical site by moving tissue away from the surgical site are needed.